We're back in your ears this week with that new new! Coming back again with our installment of Mixtape Mondays, our purpose is to enhance your musical knowledge with some of the dopest music that’s been buzzing through our ears at the AMFM Lab. So whether you’re riding your bike out through the neighborhood, or you’re waiting to hop on the Pink Line, here’s some jawns to keep y’all flowing through the week.

"OMEGA VIRUS" EP: AIR CREDITS

AIR CREDITS (ShowYouSuck + The Hood Internet) come through with this amazingly futuristic and spacey hip-hop project entitled Omega Virus, featuring a killer featured verse from the Minneapolis rapper Sims. The production in all 8 tracks transition so well, with very little pauses in each track. It reads and feels like the A side of a cassette tape, since it just plays for almost 20 minutes straight. The quirky and eccentric rhyme scheme of SYS fits so well with the hard-banging production of THI that it sort of leaves you wondering how or why this project hasn’t happened before. Be that as it may, it’s still a fresh phase in alternative hip-hop that needs to be highlighted and cultivated to the masses. And this project definitely adheres to that, and so much more. Peep the project below.

"HONEY" EP: FUTURA BLOOM

FUTURA BLOOM members Sly Luke and Ali for the Go have officially arrived with their multi-faceted, vibeful debut EP entitled Honey. With the majority of the project produced by their frequent collaborator Dougy, this EP comes through with a vicious demeanor in these six tracks. After a few months of seeing Luke and Ali dropping joints both in their solo endeavors and together, Honey stands alone as the first time they’ve collaborated together to give us a cohesive project that stands officially as theirs. This project definitely seems like a momentous swing that looks to favor in their direction, and we’re looking forward to see what upcoming projects they’ve got for us in the near future.

"PRINTER'S ROW": FANETIC

FANETIC, up-and-coming Chicago rapper, peep him if you haven't heard of him, has such a commanding cadence to his flow and smooth delivery, something that is always valued for us here at amfm! We got a chance to see him perform for the Circus Mag & Low Key collab party a few weeks back, and he was able to instill a level of confidence that most up-and-coming rappers only dream to achieve. He’s recently released his latest video entitled “Printer’s Row,” which is a sectional neighborhood located near the south of Downtown Chicago. An uplifting voice that is full of positive lyrics, a colorful blend of images, and an overall message of comradery that tells his audience that things are “looking up.” Check out the video below.

"LOVE IN A CROWD": KAINA + SEN MORIMOTO

KAINA, Chicago R&B/Soul singercollaborates with Sen Morimoto on this luscious and very smoothly track entitled “Love in a Crowd.” The soft piano synthesizers give an extra layer of jazziness that only proves to be even powerful behind the soothing vocals of Kaina. As short as the song is, it packs a level of intensity that more than makes up for its duration. Peep the song below.

"B2KK": JOSEPH CHILLIAMS

The Pivot Gang here in Chicago is one of the more consistent collectives of independent rappers to be bred from the West Side of Chicago, and the quirkiness of JOSEPH CHILLIAMS brings a level of charisma and eccentricity that is impossible to ignore. His upcoming album release party entitled “Henry Church” will be coming to Schubas on August 28th (buy tix here), and we’re really looking forward to witness the level of progression that he’s instilled over the years since his beginnings. His latest song release entitled “B2KK” continues this trail of communal rap and millennial references (They trappin’ out Garfield Conservatory/bangers in my Hood like Rick and Morty) that encompass the definition of the Chicago lifestyle. Peep the track below!

SYD SHAW: 8 TRACKS

Over the last six days, the illustrious Chicago rapper SYD SHAW has just released eight songs on her SoundCloud page (“Time Travel Rough 02” “Casual Ties," “Tic Tic," “Forbes Cash Princess," “Chasing Shadows," “Dolo,” “Cavity,” “___4 Sale”). All of these songs have been tagged with the genre of “Gangsta Jazz,” all encompassing a dichotomy of hard-hitting kick snares, head banging synths and filtering loops, whilst still containing a level of smooth jazzy feels that bleeds through each track. Check out the songs below.